Full House Spring

Chapter 52 I don’t know the origin of love

Xia Li's face was serious, and her eyes revealed an unprecedented solemnity. She said in a steady voice:

"The less he reveals his flaws, the more unfathomable he becomes. No one knows what his purpose is, but I'm afraid it's not small."

Lu Lingchuan looked at Xia Li's raised mouth, with an indescribable emotion in his eyes, and said softly:

"I thought so too. If they were only after you, there would be no need to make such a big fuss. There must be a deeper purpose for killing Zhao Xiaohui. I didn't know when such a person was hiding in the mansion."

Although Lu Lingchuan looked serious, his tone was not without tenderness. Xia Li looked at him with eyes as clear as autumn water. She said thoughtfully:

"According to the current situation, we won't be able to catch the murderer in a short period of time. We might as well put it on hold for now and let him relax his vigilance. Since he has his own plans, he will take action sooner or later."

Lu Lingchuan stood straight as a pine tree, and even in his leisure clothes, he still looked dignified. His eyelids drooped slightly, and he said calmly:

"Openly, I will not continue to investigate. Let the people in the mansion think that this matter has been left unresolved. You should also pay more attention to the people around you. It is always better to be cautious."

Xia Li nodded slightly and chuckled, "Thank you for your concern, my lord. I understand."

After finishing the business, Lu Lingchuan had no intention of leaving. He looked at Xia Li and said in a low voice, "I have met the eldest daughter of the Gao family. She is just as the rumors say. She is a dignified, virtuous and tolerant lady. She is indeed the best choice for the Crown Prince's wife."

Xia Li's eyes flickered, and she pretended not to understand Lu Lingchuan's implication. She said briskly:

"No wonder the old lady and the first lady were so happy when they returned home. Since Miss Gao is so outstanding, the marriage must be settled as soon as possible. When the prince's wife enters the mansion, this family will be lively again."

There was no sign of jealousy on her face, as if she was genuinely happy for Lu Lingchuan, but Lu Lingchuan felt like he was upset and felt extremely unhappy.

He looked at Xia Li with deep eyes and said with a wry smile: "Don't you have anything you want to say to me alone?"

Xia Li turned sideways to avoid his gaze and said calmly:

"Besides the business, I really can't think of anything else to say. If you have anything to say, just tell me."

Lu Lingchuan clenched his fists tightly, like a taut string. He said angrily, "Don't you have any feelings for me? I thought there was always something different between us."

It would be impossible to say that Xia Li had not thought deeply about this. There were not many young men around her, and Lu Lingchuan was undoubtedly the best. But she was clear-headed and only wanted the real happiness that could be in her hands, and she never daydreamed.

She looked at Lu Lingchuan with an honest look, and said with an unchanged expression: "Thank you for your kindness, my lord, but I am of humble status and not worthy of your care."

Lu Lingchuan controlled his emotions and said calmly, "I will consider whether it is worth it or not. I can't control my feelings."

Xia Li was not moved by what she heard. She only thought that endless troubles would follow. She frowned and said:
"Emotions are too illusory. What you can't get is always disturbing, and what you get is just so-so. The prince has no shortage of confidantes to accompany him. After you marry the prince's wife, you can also take concubines, and you can choose from any size. I'm really nothing."

Lu Lingchuan's eyes were filled with sadness, and he said without giving up:
"What if I want to take you as my concubine? I know you are proud and arrogant. I can give you the status of a noble concubine and I can favor you in the future, as long as you are willing to be with me."

Xia Li subconsciously took a step back, she shook her head and refused, and said firmly:
"This is absolutely not allowed. I don't want to be a concubine, and I will never share my husband with anyone. If I can't meet someone like that, I would rather be single for the rest of my life!"

Lu Lingchuan looked stunned, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on him. He restrained his expression and said, "You are still young, and your thoughts are too simple and pure. You don't need to give an immediate answer to what I said today. It will still count in a few years. You can think about it carefully."

Xia Li wanted to refuse again, wanted to tell him that she didn't need to consider it, but looking at Lu Lingchuan's eyes that seemed to hide countless sorrows, she couldn't say it, so she could only say tactfully: "I just want to serve the old lady well now, and live a free life after I get rid of my slavery. I won't consider anything else."

Lu Lingchuan nodded slightly and said in a hoarse voice:
"Just relax. I won't force you. I said this because I want to tell you that I didn't want to meet Miss Gao. In my current position, many things are beyond my control. I have given you my few sincere hearts, so there is no reason to take them back. You don't have to feel burdened. I am happy to see you happy."

After saying that, he turned around and left without waiting for Xia Li's reply. His back seemed as if he was eager to find an outlet to vent his emotions so as not to reveal any clues in front of her.

The door was open, and the night wind blew in. Xia Li shivered, and suddenly she heard Xiangru say sadly behind her:

"Do you know that you have broken the prince's heart just now? I really don't understand why you are so arrogant and why you despise the prince's feelings so much."

Xia Li turned around abruptly, looked at her sharply, and said in a cold tone: "Are you eavesdropping on our conversation?"

Xiangru's eyes flickered, and she said unconvincedly: "I just happened to pass by, it can't be considered eavesdropping, why do you want to disappoint the prince?"

Xia Li stared at Xiangru coldly, a hint of sarcasm appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said bluntly: "What does it have to do with you? Do I have to nod and agree and feel honored if a man expresses his love to me? Your feelings are cheap, but it doesn't mean that mine are the same."

Xiangru suppressed his anger and said with grievance: "I am doing this for your own good. If you miss such a good man like the prince, where can you find another one? You just don't know how to appreciate the blessing you have."

Xia Li smiled and said, "Then this blessing is for you?"

Xiangru only felt that her smile was extremely dazzling, and said indignantly: "People cannot be compared with each other. You are useless to me. Have you really decided to stay away from the prince?"

Xia Li said expressionlessly, "My body is not yet mature, why am I so eager to get married? I want to be someone's mistress and share a man with others. It's ridiculous. I have to decide what I want and what I do. No one else's words will count."

Xiangru couldn't understand her thoughts. It was normal for a girl to get married when she reached the age of 15. The prince was not a peddler, so how could he let her be picky? The two of them had different ideas and couldn't even talk to each other.

Xiangru sighed and said meaningfully: "Don't regret it in the future. It doesn't matter if you marry an ordinary woman as your legal wife. You will either face the earth and suffer all your life, or work like a slave for the rich and powerful, which is still inferior to others."

Xia Li chuckled and shook his head, not wanting to say more to her.

"Just take care of your own business. I don't need you to worry about me. If you become a concubine of a rich and powerful person in the future, and you meet me on the road, just give me some more money as a reward."

Xiangru frowned slightly. These words seemed to be nice, but they sounded a bit awkward. She didn't know what was wrong.

"You always have your own ideas. I can't argue with you. You've been tired all day. Go back and have a rest."

Xia Li nodded and said no more. It was not her turn tonight. If Lu Lingchuan hadn't come, she would have gone back to rest. It was not too late to go back now. Seeing that the New Year was approaching, the big red lanterns in the mansion were hung up, which looked particularly festive. Aunt Xie specifically asked for grace so that the two of them could go back to the house in the back alley to celebrate the New Year. Although the old lady only gave them a few days off, Xia Li was very satisfied.

She specifically asked Qiao He to prepare the ingredients for the New Year's Eve dinner. Qiao He deals with these things every day and is thoughtful and considerate in everything, so Xia Li can worry less.

The New Year's Eve dinner and the banquets for entertaining guests in the first month of the lunar year were all prepared by the big kitchen. The old lady had to attend, so the small kitchen became more relaxed. All we had to do was prepare some light side dishes and occasionally change the taste for the old lady. The next day, after Xia Li finished his work, he went to see Qiao He.

Although the two of them didn't often get together to play, their relationship hadn't changed at all. When Xia Li came over, Qiao He was plucking the feathers of the chickens and ducks. Xia Li looked around and asked curiously:
"Where are all the servants in the small kitchen? Why are you the only one doing this job?"

Qiao He plucked the chicken feathers skillfully, and said nonchalantly, "The kitchen is very busy. They called the maids over because they were short of manpower. If they were not worried that the old lady would be busy and there was no one here, I would have been called over as well."

The Duke's Mansion is different from other mansions. The table must be filled with dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner, and all kinds of snacks and drinks are indispensable. Moreover, the guests who come and go are all high-ranking and powerful, so no mistakes can be made.

Xia Li chuckled and said, "It seems that you are being lazy here."

Qiao He shook her head and said, "I'm really looking forward to working there. I can learn something from this. The chef in the big kitchen is much better than my master."

This was the truth. Xia Li took a small stool and sat down, and said gently, "Has your master not come back to work these few days?"

Qiao He sighed and lowered her voice, "She hasn't come back yet. The Zhao family is in chaos. Mrs. Zhao passed out the moment she saw Zhao Xiaohui's body. If the doctor hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid she would have died too."

Xia Li frowned slightly and said, "Hasn't that woman always not cared about her daughter? Why is she so sad this time?"

Qiao He said, "Whoever gave birth to a child would feel sorry for it. It was so hard to raise her to such an age, but she died before she got married. It would be strange if I didn't feel sad. I had to pay a visit to her house for the sake of my master. When I went there, Zhao Daqiao made a fuss and wanted to go to the mansion to ask for an explanation, saying that his sister's death should not be in vain."

Xia Li sneered, "He is not complaining for his sister. He probably lost all his money and has nothing to pay back, so he wants to extort money. What is Madam Lu's attitude?"

Qiao He raised her eyelids and said, "My master said that if he is not afraid of death, he can go to the mansion and make trouble. Although Zhao Xiaohui is dead, she is also one of the murderers who murdered you. She is not innocent. If Zhao Daqiao goes to make trouble, the master of the mansion will not show mercy. It is the end of the year, and he will be in trouble if he goes there. How can he be forgiven easily?"

Xia Li thought it made sense and wanted to go forward to help, but Qiao He quickly moved away and said, "Don't rub your delicate hands here, or they will become rough and difficult to embroider."

Xia Li was about to say that she wasn't that hypocritical, but she saw that Qiao He's fingers were thick and red, and several places had frostbite. She frowned slightly and said distressedly: "Your hands have frostbite, why don't you apply frostbite cream?"

Qiao He glanced at her finger and said nonchalantly, "I have to go into cold water every day, so it's inevitable that I get frostbite. I've tried frostbite cream before, but the cheap ones don't work, and I can't bear to buy them because they're too expensive. I'll just have to wait until the weather warms up in the spring. It won't be a problem."

Xia Li said unhappily, "How can it not be a problem? Girls' fingers are like their second face. If they get frostbite, they will become deformed. And if they are not cured, they will recur every year. It's really a hassle."

Qiao He said with some embarrassment: "The good frostbite creams on the market are too expensive, and a box of them is not enough. Anyway, my hands are used for manual labor, so it doesn't matter if they are ugly."

Xia Li stood up and said, "Do you have any sheep tail oil? I'm free this afternoon, so I'll make you some frostbite cream."

Qiao He widened her eyes in surprise, "Sheep tail oil can be used as frostbite cream? Are you kidding me?"

Xia Li was too lazy to explain to her and said calmly, "Just tell me whether you have it or not."

Qiao He washed the chicken feathers off her hands, stood up and said, "Of course I don't have any here. If you need anything, I'll go to the main kitchen to get it. Just make a list and I'll prepare everything."

There was no pen in the kitchen, so Xia Li used charcoal to write directly. After writing, the two of them worked separately and soon prepared all the materials.

Xia Li went to calcine the corrugated paper first. After Qiao He plucked the feathers from the chickens and ducks, he blanched the sheep tail oil obtained from the big kitchen, boiled it into oil and put it in cans for later use.

Xia Li crushed the cooled corrugated paper, added water and ground it with borneol, and the two chatted while they worked.

Qiao He was still very concerned about Zhao Xiaohui's death. She asked gently, "Did the prince find out who killed Zhao Xiaohui?"

Xia Li kept moving his hands and said calmly, "We haven't found out yet. No one saw Zhao Xiaohui leave the house, and no one saw anyone enter her room. Her death is really strange."

Qiao He said solemnly, "My master said that Zhao Xiaohui must have an accomplice to harm you. She told my master herself, but I don't know if it was this accomplice who harmed her."

Xia Li shook his head and said frankly: "It's hard to say. She is not completely innocent. Now that she has been buried, I'm afraid nothing can be found out about this matter."

Qiao He said helplessly: "My master will be very sad if he knows. He passed away without any explanation."

Xia Li said calmly, "This matter will eventually come to light. I advise your master to be more open-minded. We can just mix the calcined corrugated powder and sheep tail oil into a paste."

Qiao He hurriedly made a fire, and Xia Li first put the sheep tail oil into the pot to melt it, then added the powder according to the proportion, slowly stirred the two to mix, and finally scooped it out and put it into a small porcelain bottle.

"Leave this frostbite cream overnight and it will solidify into a paste and you can apply it on your hands. I made several bottles for you this time, so don't be reluctant to use them."

Qiao He held the small porcelain bottle close to her nose and sniffed it. She didn't smell any unpleasant odor. She smiled and said, "Is this frostbite cream really effective?"

Xia Li smiled confidently, stretched out her delicate hand, and said in a brisk tone:
"Look at my hands, how white and tender they are. This is all from the ointment I made myself. I can't say for its other effects, but it's definitely good for curing frostbite."

Qiao He was not shy about it. She put away the small porcelain bottle like a treasure and said with a smile, "If it's useful, I'll be the chef for your family's New Year's Eve dinner, and you and Mammy can just eat the ready-made food."

Xia Li said with surprise, "Aren't you on duty on New Year's Eve?"

Qiao He shook her head. "No need to be on duty. The master brought Dong Ge'er to the mansion to work. The mother and daughter will not go back on New Year's Eve. They will spend it in the mansion. There is no need for me to watch over them."

Xia Li was overjoyed when she heard that. She smiled and said, "Then I'll go back tomorrow and clean up your room."

Qiaohe nodded in agreement. They were close friends and Nanny Xie was not a fussy person, so there was no need to be polite when getting along with each other.

(End of this chapter)